Are work sabbaticals good for career growth?

Rachna Sharma has spent the past few months coaching people for triathlons and teaching swimming, while training regularly to realise her 50th birthday goal in June: to swim the English Channel. I was proud that I could identify the issues, and help myself.” In today’s transformative work environment, it is heartening to observe an upward trend in organisations recognising the inherent value of sabbatical leave, says Partha Neog, chief executive and co-founder of HR technology company, Vantage Circle. “I wanted to relax and refresh, take care of my health, and travel,” says Dutt, who took a break between September 2020 and May 2022. “While interviewing after taking a sabbatical, some companies viewed my unemployment negatively,” she says, who finally resumed full-time work in June 2022 as the business head for a company. Though some organizations may find it challenging to offer structured sabbatical programmes, Vantage Circle’s Partha Neog suggests options that champion the spirit of sabbaticals by offering flexible work arrangements, temporary role adjustments, or project-based engagements.